A LARGS postmistress has sent a plea to the Prime Minister and Nicola Sturgeon to safeguard the service - after revealing she is on tax credits to survive.

Susan Craddock, who runs the Largs PO in Gallowgate Square, is calling for more financial support as she struggles to make ends meet.

Susan, who has been running the Post Office in the town for ten years, has had to extend her business to include a cafe just to keep afloat - but warned it is becoming increasingly unsustainable with soaring costs

She said: "I paid in excess of £20,000 for the privilege of running a post office and financial experts approved my business plan.

"Now, ten years later I have a much bigger retail area, a cafe and a market stall to get buy.

"We are working ourselves into the ground and can do no more.

"Why then am I earning far less than I did before? There have been no pay rises for all those years and our income is constantly eroded.

"I am not alone, you will find almost every postmaster you ask in the same situation."

In a letter, which has also been sent to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Susan branded the current situation as unsustainable.

It said: "We know the company has made millions this year and we will get none of it.

"Please give us some respect, be open and truthful and give us the money we have earned."

Speaking to the News this week, Susan said: "We are busy, but we are only getting a tiny portion of the takings.

"We are looking for proper pay and conditions. I am lucky if I earn £5,000 per annum now.

"I know the people in Largs need the Post Office but the government do not care - nobody wants to pay for it.

"I don't earn the minimum wage, we are on tax credits to survive.

"When we bought this shop, we thought of opening a cafe but hoped to have something to retire to.

"We can pay our bills and that is it - the cafe pays for the post office, and if it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be able to do it."

A Post Office spokesperson said: “This is the most challenging economic climate retailers have faced in decades and we fully recognise the pressures Postmasters face to keep their branch open and serve their local community.

“Post Office increased remuneration rates in August to support Postmasters, including a one-off lump sum to help with the difficult winter ahead. We have also secured partnerships with Amazon, DPD and DHL Express to help increase footfall for our postmasters and have just announced a new trial partnership with Evri.

“However, we made clear to postmasters in August that further help, particularly with energy costs, would be required from the UK Government who is the sole shareholder of the Post Office. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme announced in September that provides a saving until the end of March 2023 is not only welcome but vital.

“The immediate priority is for post offices to be considered ‘particularly vulnerable’ for further support by the UK Government when it announces the conclusion of its review of energy support by the end of December.

“Postmasters demonstrated through the Covid-19 pandemic that they are there in person to help every community in the country. They continue to provide essential services, including some 400,000 banking deposits each month in Scotland; and over eight million £400 payments across the UK as part of the consumer Energy Bill Support Scheme. If postmasters lose the support for their business energy costs, this could significantly affect their ability to stay open and help millions of people access the help they need.”